Means to improve conductivity



Oct. 11, 1932. l HEATWQLE I 1,882,587

MEANS TO IMPROVE CONDUCTIVITY Filed Jan. 22, 1951 '2 Shets-Sheet 1INVENTOk. 120m Z 1101mm 5;,

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 11, 1932. F, E, HEATW LE 1,882,587

MEANS TO IMPROVE CONDUCTIVITY Filed Jan. 22, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. 220m 17 175A TWOL E,

ATTORNEY.

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Patented Oct. 11, 1932 FLOYD E. HEATWOLE, OI BALLSTON, VIRGINIA MEANS TOIMPROVE CONDUCTIVITY Application filed January 22, 1931. Serial No.510,545.

The invention relates to means for preventing corrosion of terminals ofelectrolytic apparatus, and improving the conductivity of connections atsuch terminals. It has for an object to present an improved form ofclasp-attached pad or wick for terminals, to be impregnated withpetroleum jelly or other material which will spread upon the surfaces ofr the terminal and protect them from moisture. It is an aim to soconstruct the device I that the clasp or parts carried thereby willpress all parts of the wick efiectively upon and around the terminal.Another special aim is to so arrange the parts that the clasp or othermetal parts will be out of contact with the terminal.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in theembodiment of the invention, a few oi many possible forms thereof beingillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l is a top view of one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a. side view from the left of Figure l, I

Figure 3 is an elevation from Figure 2, v v Figure 4 is an elevationfrom the left of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is an end view of the clip without felt at the sides,

Figure 6 is a. side view of a modified form of clip,

Figure 7 shows my invention utilizing a clip tor-med oi wire,

Figure 8 isaview of the last namedclip in plan with the side arms openedout.

' There is illustrated the upper part of a. battery 11 of e familiarform, the terminal binding post 12 (of lead) being shown. @n this thereis engaged a' familiar terminal lug or clamp 13 having the end of a.cable 14.- conthe right of 'nected. thereto. The top of the postordinarily stops ilush. with the top side the clamp, but in some casesstops below and in others projects slightly above the clamp. The clamplies spaced above the top of the cover 180i the battery cell, the postf2 extending through this cover and having a' guntimy substance sealingthe joint around the pos In one form, my invention involves the use of aclip 20 of resilient sheet metal, and will not be liable to corrosion,owin to the protective effect of the device itsel The clip 20 includes asubstantially U- shaped' central clasp member 21 having arms 22 spacedso as to engage and press against the sides of a clamp 13 when the clipis introduced from above. For this reason the bases of the arms of theclasp are spaced at their bases amply to lie in'spaced relation to theclamp, but when disengaged ere convergent, so that they require to besprung apart in order to receive the clamp. A top plate 23 is laidwithin the bight of the clip and secured by a single rivet2l so that theplate 23 may pivot on the clip; The plate 23 is of a length equal tothat of the clamp 13 and approximately of the same Width as the clamp,its longitudinal edges being down-turned slightly for a purpose to beexplained. The device may be formed in one piece if desired.

In Figures 1 to 5 the extremities of the arms 22 are inturned abruptlyso that when in use the inturned ends are slightly below the clamp 13,and the inturned parts project from the arms 22 about the thickness ofthe arms 15 of the clamp 13. The rivet 24 also may be utilized to holdwithin the device a thick body 25 of felt, substantially in the shape ofa maltose cross, the two side-arms of the felt lying against the arms 22of the clip, while the other two portions lie under the ends ofthe plate23. The side arms of the felt may be secured to the arms 22 to preventdisplacement of the felt while being put inplace on a terminal. The sideportions of the felt extend beyond the ends of the arms 22 so that whenthe device is engaged on a battery terminal, the lateral extremities lthe felt are pressed in and egainst the post 12. The clip is thusinsulated from the terminal, and my appliance serves as a protectoragainst short circuits.

in the use of this appliance, the felt portion is saturated withpetroleum jelly or a heavy lubricating oil, after attachment to thepositioned over the battery terminal with thearms of the clip extendingdownward and the plate 23 alined with the medial longitudinal line ofthe clamp 13. One arm 22 and its felt are then presented against oneside of the clamp midway of the clamp while the clip-device is pressedtoward the other side of the clamp with sufiicient force toopen the clipand permit the arms of the clip' to 7 pass downward on opposite, sidesoffthe clamp. The device is then forced downward until the longitudinalfelt portion is pressed firmly against the top of the clamp and the topof the binding post 12. The lateral portions of the felt will extenddownwardly against respective sides of the clamp, and the extremities ofthese lateral -portions will'be pressed against the lower part of thepost y the inturned ends of the clip arms 22.? "3;, The downturnedlongitudinal edges of the plate 23 cause the felt to conform and fittothe clamp at the sides, and to distribute the material in the felt 'tothe surfaces of the .post and clamp more effectively. With the device inplace as described there is a gradual percolation and: spreading of thematerial over the surfaces of the clamp and post '12.

In Figure 5 the clip device is shown as having arms 22 without the feltinwa'fdly' thereof, and this will be found sufiicientin" some instances,although it is thought that for the best results the felt should alsoextend down the sides of the clip. This device is otherwise constructedthe same as the firs described form of the invention.

The modification shown in Figure 6 the side arms 31 of the clip formedwithout the inturned lower ends, whi' h may be found desirable. The armsof this lip may also be slitted longitudinally from the extremity adistance, one or more slits being formed so that the inwardly pressingarms may adjust and conform themselves to the contours of the clamp 13.a

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the construction of the clip device from asingle piece of wire. In this instance a suitable length of resilientwire is used. One end portion is bent at a point inwardly of its middleto bring the inner and outer parts into parallel relation 'spaced lessthan the width of the longitudinal felt portion and forming a loop 34,the middle portion of the wire being bent so as to extend diagonallyacross the axis of the loop in the same plane, and its other end portionbent to form a second loop 34 oppositely extended in the same plane asthe first. The

shows a means? downward and inward from points spaced more than :thewidth of the clamp.

The extremities of the wire may stop short of the middle portion of thewire, or may be extended and connected to some inner part of the wire inorder to give greater strength, to the clip arms. The lateral loops 34are bent downward as explained, and the length of their outer partsshould be greater than the vertical [dimension of the clamp whereengaged'with'the post 12, so that by reason of the circularlform of thecentral part of the clamp, it may press outward between the sides of theloops 34 and the lower parts of the loops thereby permitting to swingunder the clamp. The felt for use with the. wire clip may be a simpleoblong quadrangle without parts to extend within and beside the sameas-in the first described form of the device.- In the latter case, thebights of the loops 34-will hold the felt material against the post 12below the clip, as will be understood. The felt may be secured to thewire clip by means of staples 37 at suitable locations, or otherwise. i

, If desired, the wire element instead of being resilient so as to beretained by resilient compression of the clamp between the loops 34 and36, may be of pliable manually deformable, non-resilient material, sothat it will retain any shape into which it is bent,

and the felt would be retained b presentation upon the terminal and bening of the wire under or around parts of the clamp or other terminalparts to be retained ,by the moderate resistance of the wire todeformation.

If desired, also, the material in the felt may have an intermixture ofgraphite, or small particles of any metal, which, working into the spacebetween the post 12 and clamp 13 will perfect electrically conductivecontact over a wider area, and thus reduce resistance. The small metalparticles, if sharp, will effect a bridging of the space between thepost and clamp and effect metal-to-metal contacts.

I claim 1. A clip device for the purposes described,

comprising a resilient wire member having end portions bent inwardly toform loops, the extreme inbent end portions being extended laterally ofthe medial line of the loops .and recurved to form lateral loops, theouter parts. of the lateralloops being bent into conver ent relation forthe purposes described.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which a wick is secured to the clip atthe inner side having a portion alined with the first named loops and ofa width and length greater than that of the first named loops, thelength and width of the loops being proportional to the size and shapeof terminal elements to be engaged 3, Thestructure of claim 1 in which acrossshaped flat wick is secured to the inner side of the clip havingone member alined with each 100 named each member of the wick being wier and longer than the respective loop, the lengths and widths of theloops being proportional .to the sizes and shapes of parts to *beengaged.

4. A device for applying corrosion prevention material io batteryterminals and the like comprising a substantially U-shaped clasp ofresilient material, a plate on the bight of the U-shaped part andprojecting at each side thereof, and a wick piece extended beneath saidplate and arranged to be held by the plate snugly down upon a terminalengaged by the clasp.

5. A device for applying corrosion preventing materal to batteryterminals and the like comprising a substantially U-shaped clasp ofresilient material, its extremities being mturned a distance to engageunder a bat tery post clamp or the like, a plate extending transverselyof the bight of the U-shaped part,'.and a cross-shaped wick having twoarms laid within those of the clasp and two ar niis beneath said platein alinement tl1erewit 6. The structure of claim 5 in which the wickportions within the clasp project beyond the ends of the arms of theclasp and holds all parts out of contact with the terminal when engaged.

7. The structure of claim 4 in which the wick has portions within andprojecting longitudinally of the arms of the clasp, the wick portionsbeing extended sufiiciently to hold all parts of the clasp and saidplate out of contact with the terminal when engaged.

8. A cap for the terminal posts of storage batteries, an absorbentmaterial carried by the cap and extendin therefrom and means carried bythe cap or simultaneously securing it to the terminal posts and pressingthe extended area of the absorbent material against the vposts.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FLOYD E. HEATWOLE.

